Seal for bags



Sept 18, 1945. v. A. NELSON f 2,385,023

SEAL FOR BAGS l. Filed Aug. 21, 1942 Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES i PATENT UFFICE f Y ananas V l SEAL FOR BAGS Verner A. Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. l Application August 21, 1942*,- serial No. 155,583 a claims. (clelia-430s) This invention relates to bag seals and is particularly adapted for use as a seal for money bags or pouches used for transporting coins.`

Ars explained in my prior Patent Number 2,170,089, issued August 22, 1939,*on Seal for bags, previouslyY designed seals were so constructed that the cord encircling the bag and secured by the seal had to be cut where the cord was in contact with the bag. Because of this the bags themselves were frequently cut and rendered unfit for further use. In said prior patent I'provided a seal having notches therein and a looped cord passing through the body of the seal and with a half from each loop passing through one of two notches. With this arrangement it was possible to cut the cord by inserting a knife into the notches and severing the cord at that point, the knife receiving notches serving to protect the bag from being accidentally cut. The notches above referred to were formed in the relatively soft deformable body or the seal adjacent the forward end of said body, and one side of each notch lwas dened by a relatively narrow strip of said deformable material. As a result it was found that when the bags were handled carelessly said relatively narrow strip would bend over and close the notch so that a knife could not be inserted therein.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag seal wherein knife receiving notches are provided, but wherein the forward end portion of the seal is made from a hard relatively non-deformable material so that it will not bend over and close the knife receiving notches, it being, of course, understood that location of the notches as close to the end of the seal as possible is desirable so that the seal can be made relatively small and further so that the major portion of the seal can be clamped upon the cord which passes therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the tie cord relative to the notched seal in such a manner that it can be completely severed with one cut as distinguished from my former construction, wherein two cuts were necessary to completely free the seal.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the upper portion of a coin bag with the seal applied thereto;

; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seal and the securing cord; l

Fig. 3` is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2p; Y

Fig. 5 is a planview of the forward end member of the device.; and

. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a slightly modif-led type of construction.

In Fig. 1 thereis shown a coin bag 1 around the upper portion of which `is extended a tie cord 8 which; asbest shown in Fig. 2, is formed in a double looptwhich receives said upper portion of said bag I, and said tie cord 8 is secured to the bag by. my improved bag seal generally indicated at 9., The body IG of the seal s is preferably' made of a relatively easily deformable material such as lead or a lead alloy, and said body I0 is provi-*ded with four ,longitudinal cord receiving passages II, I 2, I3 and I4.` ,The forward or left-hand end of the body I0 of seal 9 is provided with a pair of tapered portions I5 and I6, andthe center of said forward end of said bOdy ID is provided with a forwardly projectingfboss Il. An anchoring pin or nail I8 has its headed portion embedded in the body I0 and its pointed end portion extending forwardly from said body and through said boss I'I.

Mounted on thepin I8 is a bar I il having a pin receiving central aperture 2Il anda pair of cord receiving apertures ZI. rI'he bar I9 is made of a relatively non-deformable material such as steel and, if desired to further insure the rigidity of said bar I9, its sides may be turned up to provide reinforcing flanges 22. If such flanges 22 are formed on the bar I9, it is preferred that they face forwardly so that they will engage and grip the bag 'i to serve as additional anchoring means for the seal.

It can readily be seen in Fig. 2 that the bar member I9 extending across the forward end of the body I9 is spaced from said forward end opposite said tapered end portions I5 and I6 providing a notch at both sides of said body Ill at its forward end.

With a seal constructed as described and shown the tie cord 8 is then threaded through the seal body and the bar member I9. The free ends of the cord are rst passed through passages I I and Ill respectively from the rear end of the seal forwardly and thence through the openings 2l in the bar I9. Said free ends of said cord 8 are then passed from front to rear, first through the openings 2I in the bar I9 and then through passages I2 and I3 respectively in said body I 0. The result is a double loop as shown in Fig. 2. The free ends of the cord are then pulled to tighten the loops of the cord 8 about the bag 1, the anchoring pin I8 piercing the bag and embedding itself in its folds. The body I of the seal is then placed in a press and pressure is applied to deform the seal so that it will tightly grip the tie cord at those portions which lie in the seal bod;7 passages Il, I2, I3 and I4. When this has been done the bag can only be opened either by mutilating the seal or cutting the tie cord 8. Of course, if one of these things is done before the bag is received by authorized persons it Will be obvious that the bag has been tampered with.

After the sealed bag has reachedits proper destination it can readily be opened by inserting a knife or other cutting instrument into either one of the notches formed between the tapered front body portions I5 and I6 and the non-deformable cross bar I9. When a knife is inserted in one of said notches the tie cord 8 can be severed in two places with one cut, thus freeing both loops of said tie cord 8 and further freeing the cord and seal from the bag 1. It is unnecessary to cut the cord in both notches as was the case in my prior construction with the result that the bag can be opened much more quickly. The notches described provide the same safety factor as in my prior patent since they protect the bag from the blade used to cut the cord and the rigid cross bar I9 being relatively non-deformable will not bend backwardly against the body of the seal and close the notches.

It is contemplated that the bar kmember I9 couldbe anchored to the seal body Ill by other means than the pin I81 and said pin could be dispensed with, if desired. In such case the flanges 22 on the bar I9 would serve as teeth to bite into the bag and prevent the looped tie cord 40 8 from being slipped over the top of the bag.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a seal body 23 which has tapered forward end portions 24 but, as shown, said forward end of said body 23 is not provided with a boss such as the boss I1 on the forward end of the seal body I0 described above. The seal body 23 is, therefore, somewhat simplified in structure and the tapered end portions 24 are still spaced from the bar member I9 to provide cord cutting notches, although the notches are not quite as Wide as can readily be seen by a comparison of the structures shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

In both constructions it should be noted that the hole in the bar I9 is punched, leaving small tongues of metal 20a, which grip the nail or pin I8, keeping the bar member I9 in proper position relative to the body I0.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a seal, a tying filament, a relatively easily deformable body through which said filament passes, and a rigid relatively non-deformable member secured to one end of said body having said filament extending therethrough, said nondeformable member having a portion thereof spaced from said body to expose said filament between said member and said body, whereby said filament can be severed by a cutting instrument inserted between said body and said member.

2. In a seal, a tying lament, a relatively easily deformable body through which said filament passes, said body having a forward end, an intermediate portion of said forward end extendring forwardly a greater distance than a side of said end, and a rigid relatively non-deformable member secured to said forward fend of said body and having said filament extending therethrough, said non-deformable member lying adjacent said forwardly extending intermediate end portion and being spaced from said side of said end portion to expose said filament between said mem` ber and the end of said body, whereby said filament can be severed by a cutting instrument inserted between said body and said member.

3. In a seal, a tying filament, a relatively easily deformable body having sides anda forward end portion tapering from a point intermediate the sides of said body toward one of said sides, said filament being extended through said body and extending therefrom at said tapering forward end portion, and a rigid relatively non-deformable member secured to the forward end of said body and having said filament extendingtherethrough, said non-deformable member being spaced from said tapered forward end portion of said body to expose said filament between said member and said forward end portion, whereby said filament can be severed by a cutting instrument inserted between said body and said member.

VERNER A. NELSON. 

